Assistant Principal Mock Interview
Master 40 Assistant Principal interview questions covering discipline, instructional leadership, and school operations.
Question 8 of 40
How do you get a peer or colleague to accept one of your ideas?
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Example Answer
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Community Answers
Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
The key component to answering this question is your relationship-building skills. Tell the interviewer you work daily to build relationships with your peers and colleagues. Explain how you get to know them, learn about their families and special interests, and engage with each person regularly.
Share that these relationships have helped you gain respect and trust from your peers because they allow these people to see that you care about them. Tell the interviewer that when you approach your peers or colleagues with a new idea, they typically accept it immediately because they know who you are, respect you, and understand that you care about them!
Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
"I think the most important thing is to listen to what my colleague wants. I ask them open-ended questions to get a good sense of their opinions and preferences about a topic and try to combine their ideas with mine."
Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
"I am good at laying out compelling reasons for my colleague to accept my ideas. I'm very persuasive. I address the problem at its core and present my ideas in easy-to-consume points, which is usually very effective."
Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
"The best way to get a peer or colleague excited about an idea is to include them in the process, early and often. People like to feel heard. Keeping this in mind, I ask them quality discovery questions to help craft the idea and gain their insights on the idea or plans for execution. It is an exciting process!"
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Anonymous Answer
I do this by being excited about the idea myself. I always encourage my colleagues and team members by making them part of the decision. I listen to their ideas and thoughts, which sparks an interest in them, which in turn leads to them getting excited over the plan.
Rachelle's Feedback
Fantastic answer! It sounds as though you do an excellent job by leading with ideas that excite you; allowing you to pass on this excitement more naturally to your team.
Anonymous Answer
Establishing trusting relationships with my peers has allowed me to work well and get ideas of mine accepted. Displaying a great work ethic and drive has given me credibility and confidence amongst staff that I have done the work to develop positive outcomes.
Cindy's Feedback
Great! An example would help here too. How have you brought others to accept an idea you've had?
Anonymous Answer
I worked alongside a colleague of mine when we ran the green schools committee together. We both had different ideas initially and we shared them and developed them together. I was eager to challenge the students by making the committee child-led. I wanted to encourage the 6th class boys to take on the reigns and steer the ship. Although there was a level of reluctance at the beginning, my colleague and I expressed our opinions and views and, together, we decided to make an application for the committee. This meant that the leaders of the committee would have to earn their spot and this made us think that it would be in safe hands.
Stephanie's Feedback
This is an excellent example! Your response is very well-rounded and addresses the question in a manner that is thoughtful and detailed.
Anonymous Answer
Teachers are inundated with new initiatives and strategies all the time so when introducing a new idea or project they are always cautious about the amount of their time this will take to do and whether or not they can or want to commit to it. My approach is to first layout my reasons, give them the rationale and how this links with our team vision. This gives them the why and then I provide them with the time to have a think and give feedback. This is important because the 'knowledge' for how to achieve a target is always in the room and by listening carefully to what others have to offer you are not only improving your plan but also starting to give them the opportunity to get on board and process how the idea will impact on them positively. For example, I have redesigned a student reward scheme structured around Personal, Learning, and Thinking Skills. I took my time and worked with middle leaders to refine the project, listening to their ideas and adapting the reward scheme so that everyone felt the benefit. The Art department had some adaptions in particular that they wanted to make. Having secured the buy-in of middle leaders I was then able to role out to students who engaged really positively.
Stephanie's Feedback
It sounds like you have a great approach to getting the buy-in of colleagues. Good example.
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